The squeeze on Conservative committee places as a consequence of the general election result has had some savage consequences: for example, Crispin Blunt, the former Foreign Affairs Select Committee Chairman, lost out in the contest to get on it.

There was a “very high turnout”, ConHome is told.

Old truths apply: if you’re able, popular with your colleagues and know what you’re talking about, your chances of making it through the pack increase. These qualities – or even two of the three – seem to have mattered more in this poll than loyalties of ideology or intake. Consider the following as examples, picked more or less at random: Mark Prisk, Leo Doherty, Nus Ghani, David Jones, Iain Stewart, Stephen Hammond. Our very able columnist Nadhim Zahawi is back on Foreign Affairs.

A statement by Graham Brady on behalf of the 1922 Committee says: “There remains some uncertainty over the number of places the Conservative Party will be allocated on the Exiting the European Union Select Committee. Whilst the vote has been counted, I will not therefore be in a position to announce the result until this is finalised.”